Stephan James

Stephan James is a distinguished Canadian actor known for his impactful portrayals of real-life historical figures and his contributions to film and television. After earning a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the feature film Home Again (2012), Stephan James went on to establish himself as a distinguished Canadian actor known for impactful portrayals. His early career included a recurring role for two seasons on the Canadian teen series Degrassi: The Next Generation, alongside appearances in television projects such as How To Be Indie, Clue, and My Babysitter’s a Vampire in 2011, followed by roles in The Listener and The LA Complex in 2012. James’ career gained significant momentum with his role as civil rights activist John Lewis in Ava DuVernay’s acclaimed film Selma (2014), which earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.

B.L.A.C.K. Canada later expanded to include The Black Academy in December 2020, a non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating and supporting Black talent across Canada’s arts, culture, entertainment, and sports sectors. Demonstrating his ongoing commitment to fostering diversity and opportunity, James, with his brothers, launched the Bay Mills Diversity Fund in 2021, aiming to support BIPOC businesses in Canada.